The festival, which is supported by Aeroflot, includes classical chess tournaments held over nine rounds, with three groups of players (A, B and C) based on players' ratings in a Swiss-system tournament. In total, more than 200 participants from over 30 countries will take part.

The flagship tournament is group A, which includes top-rank chess players with a FIDE rating of more than 2550. The winner of the Group A tournament will be invited to the round-robin super-tournament in Dortmund (9-17 July 2016). A lightning tournament will take place on March 10th.

The prize money on offer totals 140 thousand euros. Special prizes for the best results amongst veterans, women and children are also included.

The Russian Chess Federation and the Association of Chess Federations have joined Aeroflot in the organization of this prestigious competition. Aeroflot Open has earned a reputation as a highly accessible and popular global chess event. In 2004 it was mentioned in the Guinness World Records as the chess competition with the highest number of chess grandmasters.